It may have taken the Xbox One nearly two years to get its gears going, but all signs point to a strong home stretch for Microsoft's next-gen console.

Advertisement

In addition to some heavy-hitting exclusive favorites on the horizon, Microsoft is rolling out a brand new interface to its previously confusing home screen. It's more than a cosmetic change with much faster menu scrolling that users can now operate vertically, PC streaming, a brand new control pad and backwards compatibility.

The latter may prove to be of most interest to fans who, until now, have been prevented from Xbox 360 library play on their new console. Once publishing is accepted for each particular title, the cross-gen platforming will begin with a mere player insertion of old discs or previously purchased digital files for instant downloads.

The new menu, currently planned for the fall, will showcase Facebook-inspired social activity, including animated avatars of friends currently playing a user's favorite games, as well as what's trending; and a neat option for game developers to publish specific updates, patches and new modes directly to the home screen. The new guide will also feature instant menu switching and seamless overlays during gameplay so that players can have quicker access to party invites, text and voice messages.

And all those features are sure to come in handy with a pair of heavy IP's that Microsoft is rolling out this year. Joining the welcome addition of a next-gen Gears of War (titled Ultimate Edition, available August 25 of this year) are Halo 5: Guardians and Forza Motorsport 6, and both plan to satisfy Xboxers with features fans have long coveted.

The proof of popularity was right on the Microsoft showroom floor at E3 this week, as some fans waited in all-day lines that would have the most diehard Disneyland goers frazzled to try out Halo 5's new Warzone mode. The new 24-player mode offers a blend of PVE and PVP, with frequent enemy A.I. incorporated in already chaotic and ultimately destructive 12-on-12 action.

Spartans won't go without their share of dramatic boss battles in Warzone, and overall A.I. difficulty will be tuned up. Thankfully, players have the luxury of a brand new requisition system, to which Spartans earn red cards to purchase major weapons and vehicles.

Solo players will likely enjoy Halo 5: Guardians' new campaign, as the sci-fi shooter expands on the franchise's rich universe in a series of anthology missions that pits Master Chief's long-reunited Blue metallic spartans against Agent Locke's Fireteam. Jameson Locke-whose likeness will stick with Michael Colter from last fall's Halo: Nightfall Web series, has an arguably more distinguished and accomplished Spartan team (Nathan Fillion's Buck, last seen in Halo: ODST) than Chief's previously abducted surrogate siblings.

New Promethean foes can drive and jack vehicles from players, too, offering challenges not seen in a Halo game before.

FORZA MOTORSPORT 6

With more freedom and power to control the way you play Xbox, comes more freedom and power in the way you play Forza. In addition to the intrigue of hitting the clutch with some new interchangeable paddles, courtesy of the Xbox Elite Controller (if you can afford it, at $149.99 retail), there appears to be plenty of new modes and racetracks for racers to take part in.

Forza Motorsport 6's new 70-hour career mode, "Stories of Motorsport," offers five volumes of race styles that will play to each player's preference — ranging anywhere from exotic street races to both ultimate grand and vintage tours.

The 450 car roster from over 80 manufacturers should stop all the whining of micro-transactions, too, with newly implemented rain races sure to give players the sort of tense sim experience they're looking for.

Forza 6's new addition of racing in the rain won't be a solely cosmetic affair either, as Turn 10 Studios studied porosity values, elastic puddle effects, and a myriad of wet materials in preparation for the new element. Headlights reflect quite impressively on puddles with the spraying water sounding as impressive as it looked. The developers also included the dramatic tension of hydroplaning in the Xbox One controller's rumble feature.

Advertisement

While night race footage wasn't shown in the closed room demo on Thursday, Turn 10 did contrast the feel of racing "in the lights" at Daytona (bright as daytime) to Le Mans' often horrifying pitch black areas. And although there won't be any rain racing at night, cars will lose their grip as the tracks cool from the lack of sun.

Microsoft's Halo 5: Guardians is ready for war on October 27th, while Forza Motorsport 6 will spill onto racetracks on September 15.